Jake Shields.
Jake Shields Interviews USS Liberty Survivor: “We Were Set Up to Be Murdered”
A Forgotten Story Resurfaces
In a raw and powerful episode hosted by MMA champion Jake Shields, Phil Tourney, a survivor of the 1967 USS Liberty attack, shares a harrowing firsthand account of one of the most controversial and silenced events in U.S. military history.
Tourney recounts how Israeli forces, despite clearly identifying the USS Liberty as an American ship, launched a two-hour attack during the Six-Day War. The assault involved fighter jets, torpedo boats, and napalm—leaving 34 dead and 174 wounded.
The Setup and the Silence
Tourney describes the ship’s mission as peaceful intelligence gathering, legally conducted in international waters. However, he believes they were deliberately placed in a war zone as part of a broader plan involving both the U.S. and Israeli governments.
According to Tourney, survivors were threatened into silence by Navy leadership, including Admiral Isaac Kidd, under direct orders not to speak out.
“They set us up to be slaughtered—and then they told us to shut up about it,” says Tourney.
Inside the Attack
Israeli jets made repeated flyovers before the assault, even waving at the crew.
The first wave took out every antenna and defensive gun within seconds.
A torpedo hit the Liberty midship, instantly killing 25 intelligence crew.
Life rafts were machine-gunned in the water.
Rescue aircraft from the USS Saratoga were launched—but were ordered to stand down by Secretary McNamara and President Lyndon B. Johnson.
A Deliberate Cover-Up
Tourney claims the attack was intended to be blamed on Egypt to justify a U.S. retaliation and entry into the war. The plan failed only because the Liberty didn’t sink.
He also alleges that the cover-up involved key military and political figures, and that survivors have been defamed, labeled anti-Semitic, and left out of history books.
The Fight for Justice
Tourney continues to speak out, not for revenge, but to honor the lives lost and demand transparency. He calls the USS Liberty the most decorated crew in U.S. Navy history for a single engagement, yet one still denied recognition and justice.
Support the USS Liberty Veterans:
Visit usslibertyveterans.org
Watch the documentary Sacrificing Liberty on YouTube or Rumble
Share their story to help preserve the truth
Final Thoughts
“We were betrayed by our government, but we are not going away,” says Tourney. “The truth matters—and America deserves to know.”
Key Topics Discussed:
USS Liberty, Jake Shields, Phil Tourney, Military Cover-Up, 1967 Six-Day War, False Flag, Naval History, Government Secrecy, USS Liberty Documentary
